This invention relates generally to endless, preferably seamless, articles or belts and their fabrication. More specifically, the present invention pertains to electrodeposited endless belts incorporating one or two thickened end region portions, which stiffen the belts, and to methods for the fabrication of such stiffened endless belts. The endless belts of the present invention may be used for example in the fabrication of photosensitive or photoconductive imaging members employed in electrostatographic imaging apparatus.
Endless belts, especially seamless, electroformed metal belts, may be thin and flexible. However, thin and flexible belts are difficult to handle without damage when fabricating photosensitive members. Moreover, thin and flexible belts are usually considered unsuitable for equipment designed to handle rigid cylindrical substrates. It is known that during electroforming, there may occur the phenomenon of an "edge effect" wherein the ends of the electroformed article become slightly thickened. For example, the ends may have a thickness up to 1.3 times greater than the thickness of the center portion of the article. Due to the geometry of the plating cell, the top and bottom of the electroformed article may have higher current density areas. These higher current density areas may result in thicker deposits near the ends. This process in which thicker deposits form near the ends of the electroformed article is called the "edge effect." However, even those thin, flexible belts having slightly thickened ends due to "edge effect," are insufficiently rigid or stiff to minimize handling damage when fabricating photosensitive members and are insufficiently rigid or stiff for equipment designed to handle rigid cylindrical substrates. There is a need for a way to temporarily stiffen flexible endless belts to minimize the above problems.
Herbert et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,885, discloses an endless metal belt comprising a center region between two edge regions, wherein the ductility of at least one edge region is greater than the ductility of the center region.
Jochim, U.S. Pat. No. 3,378,469, discloses the use of a rigid backing structure in an electroforming process, reference for example column 4.